Almost a financial year has passed since Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal for AC Milan and as he arrived for training at the magnificent Milanello complex, he could hardly seem more at home. In this exclusive interview with BBC Sport – after turning down numerous interview requests from various Italian media outlets – the man himself tells his own story.

‘I wanted to set the record straight and let the Arsenal fans know the real score,’ he begins. ‘And besides,’ he shrugs. ‘The money the Italian press offered me was laughable.’

Inevitably, the conversation begins with his acrimonious move from North London. ‘Arsenal are incredibly important to both my own and my London bank manager’s heart,’ Flamini tells me. ‘It was such a shame that his gave out when I moved my account to Italy.’

‘I’m sorry about falling out with Arsene Wenger, but he let me down badly,’ the Frenchman says shaking his head. ‘Yes, he plucked me from obscurity, instilled into me a sense of belief where greatness was my destiny and developed me into a remarkable midfielder player, but all I ever wanted in return was an annual salary on a par with the GDP of Belgium. I couldn’t believe his ingratitude when he wouldn’t give in to my demands.’

He soon turns the tone to a lighter note, however, when he speaks of the fondness he shared with members of the Arsenal squad. ‘I miss my team-mates. I had a great relationship with some of the Arsenal players – especially Ade. We used to have a great laugh together where we’d take turns throwing cash onto each other from the top of a high ladder and the one underneath would dance around in the falling bank notes. Afterwards, we used to talk for hours about how we’d get even more money from the club that we owed everything to by playing hardball with our contracts.’ Flamini’s eyes sparkle as he recalls the story. ‘Happy days, indeed!’ he laughs.

When asked about his international ambitions, Flamini looks pained, as if he is missing out on something he desperately wants. ‘Because my father is Italian and my parents and I live in Italy’, he explains, ‘I would love to play for France. Why I don’t play for them is astonishing – I have made it openly known that I admire very much the generous appearance money that the French Football Federation pay their international players and it saddens me that I can’t get a piece of that action.’

He dismisses all accusations that his transfer was driven purely by financial gain. ‘It wasn’t all about the money,’ he reveals. ‘The second reason why I signed for Milan is because my parents live in Rome which is only four hours away – only an hour’s more travelling than the flying time from London.’

I ask him about his future and if he will ever consider a move back to the Premiership. ‘I can’t say if I’ll ever go back to England,’ he admits. ‘There are too many variables. For example, how much bonus money will I get? Will I be able to double my wages each season even though I signed a long term contract, etc.’

Leaving aside, then, questions about any future plans, I ask Mathieu about his immediate ambitions. ‘My objectives are simple,’ he announces. ‘I want cash.’